James Read Welch was born on 14 May 1839 in Buckland, Dover, KENT, ENG.
1,2 He and
Isabella Harper were married on 14 October 1862. He died on 8 June 1933, at age 94, in Masterton, NZ.
2 Kidnapped by Maori, aged 8 months, shortly after arriva,l but recovered after 4 days. This after being kidnapped aged 6 months in Santiago, Chile enroute to NZ, despite this James lived to well over a hundred MER Not sure about this!
James died aged 94.
7 children see WIKI
WIKI
He moved to the Wairarapa soon after his marriage[1], taking up farming under the small farms scheme. He settled at Opaki where in 1868 he was recorded on the Wairarapa West Electoral Roll as having freehold land of 56 acres at Opaki Plains and 38 acres near Masterton[5]. He was "a good judge of stock and a keen practical farmer"[1].
In 1896 he, his wife and several children were living at Opaki, all being on the Masterton Electoral Roll[6]. He was a sheep-farmer owning 356 acres of freehold land.
He became blind for the last seven years of his life[1]. His wife died on 19 August 1928[7]. In 1931 he was still living at 15 Opaki Road, Wairarapa, being registered on the Masterton General Electoral Roll as retired[8].
James died on 8 June 1933 aged 94 years[9] at Landsdowne, Masterton. He was buried in Archer Street Cemetery, Masterton. James Read Welch had person sources.
3 He immigrated to ENG to NZ on the Oriental arriving NZ 31/1/1840 on 15 September 1839.
4